The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-10
Pencil Sketch Of Life on Sulltvan's
Island.

Su1L1yAN's ISLAND, July 2s, 1887.
Dear Neiqhbor: A light pencil sketch
of life on "The Island' may give some
pleasure to the ''land lubbers" inland
who are not enjoying that experience.
Snlllvan's is long, narrow island, hav-
ing somewhat of crescent shape. 1t Is
seven miles from Charleston, and its FUR
ther point runs out into the Atlantic,
the islanders thus getting the genuine
sea breeze, untainted by any passage
across the land. A splendid beach, OF
great width at low water, stretches for
three miles along "The Island.' Toward
this beach all houses face, their opposite
side being turned toward Back Beach,
which is. in fact, no beach at all. There
fore viewing 1.-THE Island" from Front
Beach all the houses are facing you. This
brings about unique arrangement along
the two or three streets which run longl-
tudinally through "The Island" As you
pass from the boat landing up to the New
Brighton hotel at the other end OF "The
island" YOU have on one hand the fronts
of houses and on the other the rear ends.
A hundred mems kitchens face as many
other mems front doors, but life is free
and easy and nobody minds 1t. Friends
as often enter by your back door as by
the front one, and informal visiting seems
the order of the day. House keeping is
made easy by the delivery at the door OF
ice, bread, fish, and vegetables of many
kinds. Frequent communication with
Charleston BY boats on schedule time
makes other marketing easy.
A nondescript style of architecture pre-
walls, the most surprising effects being
produced by the afterthought, as 1t were,
of the builders. Unexpected windows,
enclosed bits Of piazza, little boX-like ad-
ditions here and there make grotesque
what would otherwise be only ordinary
looking houses. But this makes life on
"The Island" seem only the more like
holiday, a bit Of fun in lifetime. The
moist, salt air soon gives an appearance
Of age to the houses-with few eXcep-
tions the paint and white wash are peel
ing off in patches, and z mottled exterior
is the result. The interiors OF private
houses are somewhat scantily furnished
as rule, the transportation of furniture
from Charleston being by no means the
smallest expense in a change of residence
from "The City" to "The Island" But
who minds this? the summer is merely
a picnic time, q camping out. There are,
however, quite large number of neat
houses kept in good order, also m,!ny
trim little cottages with the usual modern
adornments.
But the breeze, tho breeze! 1t rarely
ceases to blow, and one can remember
with only pity the dwellers in cities
where no such cooling wind can reach to
temper the burning heat. The CHIEF
charm Of "The Island" however, is the
sea bathing. Old and young, white and
black, all bathe, and there is no danger OF
sickness from lack of cleanliness. What
do YOU mean that people get sick, really
sick, from want of good washing? That
is exactly what we do mean, and some at
least who complain of languor and pallGr
only need wholesome daily bath. Dis
gusting, isn't it9 1t is no worse to say
il than for people to be swallowing year
after year quarts and quarts of drugs,
when all they need is a courageous ply
sician to prescribe soap, water, and exer-
else. But this is depression from tie
desired line of writing. Twice every
twenty-four hours the tide rises; it is
flowing in for about six hours and out
for the same length of time, coming
in about fifty minutes later every day.
At the rise Of the tide the islanders rush
into their bathing suits, and then into
the water, where they sport themselves
in the waves oftentimes for an hour. A
high authority says fifteen minutes is the
proper length OF time for bath, exces-
siye indulgence being highly injurious.
The salt water produces an irritation OF
the skin which seems at times unbeara-
BILE, but all good results of the bath are
lost if one washes afterward in fresh wa
ter. And what figures do most of the
bathers cut! The sole consolation that
each one has is that every body else looks
at best nearly as ridiculous as himself.
Once in the water, however, individuality
is largely lost to the spectators along
shore, and one sees merely number OF
figures more or less grotesque. Most OF
Some few are graceful and pretty, but it
is generally conceded that the strong
est test of ones good looks is to 60 in
bathing.
VISITOR.